Breakfast Mistakes You Are Making Without Realizing

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, you must have heard this phrase umpteen a number of times while growing up. Coined by Kellogg’s in the 19^th century as their marketing strategy, the phrase holds good science-backed relevance for you though. Do know, however, that there are at least 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing it?

Contents hide

1 Interesting Breakfast History

1.1 7 Breakfast Mistakes You Are Making Without Realizing

1.1.1 1.) Big Breakfast

1.1.2 2.) No Breakfast At All

1.1.3 3.) Cold Breakfast

1.1.4 4.) Mixing Fruits With Milk

1.1.5 5.) Not Taking Enough Proteins

1.1.6 6.) Avoiding Carbs

1.1.7 7.) Taking Excess Of Fiber

1.2 The Takeaway

1.3 SUGGESTED READINGS AND REFERENCES

1.4 Related

These days, the way people are eating their breakfast is more of a nutritional drain rather than adding any value to their energy levels. People who have no time or taste for cooking prefer to go for ready to eat breakfast and end up loading themselves with simple carbs and added sugars, which do more harm to their health.

I will show you the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing, but before that I will take you down to the very interesting journey of breakfast’s history.

Image: Campaign launched by General Foods in 1944. Breakfast cereal is now a $36.5 bn industry.

Interesting Breakfast History

There is nothing better than a proper breakfast. – Sophie Dahl

The first record of the daily morning meal comes from Ancient Egypt. Breakfast as a routine was not followed during the Middle Ages as it was seen gluttonous by the Catholic Church.

Breakfast didn’t become a daily ritual in Europe until the 1600’s as this is when many people started going to work on a daily basis.

So, that is how breakfast became a practice in your life. However, there are certain mistakes which we are making so that the purpose of eating morning meal is not getting served.

It is important to note that you must start your day by drinking at least 2-3 glasses of water also known as Usha Paana Chikitsa (dawn water treatment) in Ayurveda.

It is now time that we hop on to the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing while going for the first and the most essential meal of the day.

Also Read: Win Win Food Delicious Healthy Eating For No Fuss Lovers

7 Breakfast Mistakes You Are Making Without Realizing

If your morning breakfast is making you lethargic, gassy or bloated then here’s the list of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing.

1.) Big Breakfast

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper

Well, the above proverb does not hold true now.

One of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing is eating a very heavy breakfast after 8-12 hours of fasting (night’s sleep).

In the morning, your digestive capacity or appetite, also known as agni in Ayurveda, is low. Having a light and warm breakfast in the morning prepares the stomach to digest the food throughout the day.

2.) No Breakfast At All

A good breakfast fuels you up and gets you ready for the day.

Another big mistake of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing is skipping your breakfast.

Trust me, this is a huge one. Read on to know why.

To all the breakfast skippers out there, do you know that approximately 15-30% of daily energy intake should be consumed at the breakfast? Yet, a quarter of you are still not taking it seriously.

Epidemiologists have something really important for you here.

A higher incidence of cardio metabolic risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, unfavorable lipid profiles, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which ultimately leads to higher risk of CVD is more prevalent among those who have the habit of skipping their breakfast.

The best time to eat the breakfast for you is within two hours of your waking up.

3.) Cold Breakfast

t is all a matter of the agni (digestion and metabolic processes).

Do you also love taking cold milk or shakes or curd in the morning? According to Ayurveda, a warm breakfast in the morning is important to prepare the body for digesting the biggest meal of the day – lunch.

Your metabolism needs a gentle kickstart at the beginning of the day and a warm breakfast will help in the digestion and preparing your gut for the day ahead.

4.) Mixing Fruits With Milk

Fitness enthusiasts love mixing fruits with milk to make a morning pre-workout or post-workout smoothies.

Mixing fruits and milk is a bad idea and must be eliminated from the list of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing!

As per Ayurveda, milk and fruits are the two ingredients which are considered incompatible with each other. You must keep the time gap of at least 3 hours between the consumption of milk and a non-compatible food.

However, you can take the milk with dry fruits such as raisins, dates and figs. The berries (including strawberries) must be avoided adding to the milk. A ripe sweet mango and avocado are the exceptions that you can enjoy with the milk.

5.) Not Taking Enough Proteins

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 10 – 35 percent of the calories from your diet must come from protein. It is especially beneficial for you if you are taking a good part of proteins in the morning.

Alertness: Protein provides the amino acids your brain needs to function at its optimal level. It helps your brain to produce neurotransmitters called norepinephrine and dopamine, which gives you energy and make you feel alert and awake.
Satiety: The research has shown that the breakfast rich in protein can help you stay fuller for longer period of time. This will help you if you are interested in weight loss.
Amino Acids: Eating incomplete proteins, such as wheat toast or peanut butter alone, gives you some of the amino acids you need, but eating wheat toast with peanut butter can give you all of them, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Warning: A high-protein diet may also be a diet high in cholesterol and fat, which can lead to weight gain and cardiovascular problems. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend consuming less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. Avoid fried foods, gravies and high-fat meats, such as beef, pork sausage or bacon, and focus on low-fat foods, such as turkey, chicken, whole grains, nuts and beans.

6.) Avoiding Carbs

Instead of avoiding carbohydrates completely, it is good if you add complex carbs in the breakfast.

Complex carbs like whole grains, legumes, nuts are the better option. They’re high in fiber and are broken down slowly in the body so that you will get a long lasting energy.

Consuming simple carbs is also one of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing. They will give your body energy spike only to be crashed in a shorter period of time.

If maintaining energy and weight is on your list then loading up on complex carbs is actually a great idea, especially in the morning.

7.) Taking Excess Of Fiber

Last but not the least of the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing is eating a lot of fiber in the morning. It can make you gassy.

Even if you are taking fibrous food in the breakfast, consume it in moderation.

One important thing is to drink plenty of water with the fiber rich food.

The Takeaway

The term breakfast refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night. However, the 7 breakfast mistakes you are making without realizing, listed above, fails the whole purpose of doing a breakfast.

Wherein skipping the breakfast should be a big no, your breakfast should comprise of such items in your plate which can provide you with ample energy for the day.

Make sure that you are starting your day with healthy breakfast including a good quality protein that is paired with complex carbohydrates and good fats. Try to choose whole, unprocessed foods from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician’s advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.